Digital subscriber line (DSL) technology allows digital data to be transmitted over telephone lines. DSL service can be delivered simultaneously with wired telephone service on the same telephone line (e.g., over standard copper pair facilities) since DSL typically uses higher frequency bands for data transmission. Although it is becoming increasingly popular to transmit data using high-bandwidth fiber-optic cable, installation of these fiber-optic cables is extremely cumbersome and expensive. Because DSL service may be employed over existing copper-based cables, DSL is still widely used and advancements in DSL technologies continue to persist. However, testing copper-based cables remains a challenge.
Technicians are not typically trained or able to identify and repair copper-related impairments on their own, and often rely on a copper expert. As a result, the process to identify and repair copper-related impairments is often drawn-out and inefficient. Load coils, for example, may act as low pass filters and must be removed for DSL to work properly. An inexperienced or untrained technician will rely on a copper expert to locate load coils and find a fix. This may extend repair times and increase usage of resources. Furthermore, conventional techniques for load coil measurements are cumbersome and inefficient.
As a result, a technique for measuring load coils in a more reliable and efficient way may be helpful to increase network testing efficiencies and overcome shortcomings of conventional technologies.